Open letter to Warren Allmand, Loyola councillor

People Unclear on the Concept

On Friday, March 20th, I received a personal letter from Mr. Warren Allmand. I had attempted to reach Mr. Allmand, the councilor for my district of Loyola in the CDN-NDG borough, by phone and by email on March 2, the day that the borough voted to destroy the Benny Park outdoor pool, but he had not responded to my calls. Now, 18 days later, a letter. Could it be that Mr. Allmand was feeling a belated need to somehow justify his actions?

This article details some of the points Mr. Allmand tried to make in his letter to me, and my response to them. I am sharing this response with the public because I think this issue needs to be a matter of public discussion.

First of all, let me say Mr. Allmand that I read your letter attentively and I do not buy your attempt at self-justification. I will go over some of the major arguments presented in your letter in the following paragraphs, with my responses to them.

1. The argument that the new center will not be environmentally destructive
Mr. Allmand make reference in his letter to the oft-quoted figure of 2.1% as the difference in size of the footprints of the existing and proposed structures in the park, respectively. Where does this figure come from? According to a communiqué from the Borough dated Oct. 4 2007, the proposed sports centre would require 2422 m2, compared to 1681 m2 used by the existing outdoor pool and swimmers’ pavilion. Based on these figures, the new building would have a 44% larger footprint than the existing structures.

2. “The pool needs repairs” argument
In his letter, Mr. Allmand stated that ''. . . a choice had to be made between [renovations to the existing pool] and a new sports center which would service the population for the entire year and not just for 2 or 3 months in the summer.” Mr. Allmand presents us with an either-or proposition. It this valid? Would it not have been possible to build the sports centre and maintain the outdoor pool, if necessary deferring the repairs until funds were available?

He goes on to say that, “Furthermore the new pool will be open to the park and will have green spaces for the bathers to take the sun outside during the summer months.” Er, Mr. Allmand, doesn't the existing pool and park offer that option?

3. The “Benny Farm land is not large enough” argument
In his letter, Mr. Allmand states that the Sports Center was moved from Benny Farm to Benny Park because “the Benny Farm site was too small to accommodate all the basic requirements of the Sports Center.” Given that there is ample space to build a 2422 m2 building on the Benny Farm land, as originally proposed, I take Mr. Allmand's comment as an oblique reference to the lack of parking on the Benny Farm site. In other words, a large portion of Benny Park will be likely be paved over to provide parking spaces for those using the Sports Center.

4. The “Opposition to this choice of site is minor” argument

Mr. Allmand goes on to characterize the people against the site as “minor opposition,” meanwhile insisting that the “overwhelming majority” have supported the project. His incorporation of the phrase “minor opposition” borrows a favorite tactic of Mr. Applebaum, that of downplaying any opposition to his actions. Yet the site of the Benny Sports Center has never been the object of a democratic vote. Perhaps, Mr. Allmand, you are waiting for people to phone in their opinions? If that is the case, permit me to explain: no one bothers to call you because they do not believe your administration will listen. The loss of the Fraser Hickson Library, despite over 10,000 signatures supporting its preservation, is still fresh in NDG residents' minds.

In addition, I invite you, Mr. Allmand, to consider the work others have been doing in circulating the Save Benny Park petition in recent weeks. I personally have chatted with more than 400 people, (so far) and only 3 people I talked to were in favor of construction in Benny Park (two with the misguided idea that condos would be built across the street, one convinced of the veracity of the “2.1% footprint” claim). That makes 99% of people weighing in against building in the park, and less than 1% who support the project, based on first-hand data.

5. The “those opposed to the Benny Park site are opposed to the Sports Center” misrepresentation
Mr. Allmand concludes his letter to me by saying that,
I want to assure you that my vote for this project was based on good conscience and common sense. Social justice dicated that a year-round sports and recreation centre be available to all segments of the population and not just to those who can affort the YMCA and other private facilities.
To this I can only repeat, for Mr. Allmand's benefit, what has been emphasized in Save Benny Park Coalition press releases and articles already: The Save Benny Park Coaltion is not against the construction of a sports and recreation center (and by extension, we are not against services to benefit the entire population as he slyly suggests.) We are only against its construction IN A PUBLIC PARK.

Mr. Allmand, I hope this information provides the clarity you require to do the right thing by the present and future children and families of this borough.

Review of Julius Grey lecture April 15 '09

Julius Grey: Edifice of Capitalism actually a House of Cards (ok, bonds)

On April 15 2009, Citizens in Action, a Montreal citizens group devoted to economic and social justice, welcomed Julius Grey as its speaker at Concordia University's hall building. The theme of the evening was “Failure of the Neo-Liberal Agenda”. Those present were treated to an enlightening and stimulating presentation from the witty and totally unpretentious Mr. Grey, a Canadian lawyer and professor, and one of Canada's leading socialist and minority rights advocates.

The myths of Capitalism

Julius Grey opened his speech with a wry observation. As he told the audience, the good news is that Capitalism is a phenomenal success—The bad news is, Capitalism's success is only in terms of propaganda! Capitalism has failed. America has been brainwashed.

The “trickle-down” myth

Grey explained how the media have bought into and propagated the Capitalist myth of a market economy in which never-ending growth is possible and desireable, where an elite few corporate moguls become fabulously weathy, and this wealth inevitably trickles down to the masses. Even faced with the current global economic meltdown, the media have held tenaciously to the rationalization that it was not the Capitalist system that was the problem, it was individual Greed. However, this argument crumbles under semantic scrutiny: In a very real way, Capitalism is Greed, the fact that it is predicated on greed is its appeal. Grey pointed out that another base quality associated with Capitalism is cruelty—in a society where the Market is all-important, “dog-eat-dog” attitudes prevail. Wars are commonplace, all human interactions assume an outcome with winners and losers, with no room for compromise.
Grey brought home the notion that “Ethical Capitalism” (like its pals “responsible government” and “military intelligence” perhaps) is an oxymoron. North Americans have been sold a bill of goods. Capitalism is no more than a well-marketed pyramid scheme, doomed to failure. He also pointed out how Capitalism fosters a short-run mentality, in which governments eschew vision and long-term planning because they operate within a system that, like an alluring get-rich-quick scheme, appeals to our inherent laziness and irresponsibility. He pointed out that “municipal government is a cesspool.” The government in power, faced with a four year mandate, acts with the knowledge that if a project fails in the long term, either (1) they will be re-elected before the public finds out, or (2) a future government could be left holding the bag.

Canada is a totalitarian democracy

Grey stated unequivocably that Canada is an totalitarian democracy—that is, a government where the wealthy rule. He stated that the “Bourgeoisie” (Capitalist middle class), who believe themselves to be free, are in fact deluded, like the characters in a Dickens novel (Grey makes frequent allusion to various novels and novellists).

The sacred cow of hard work

According to Grey, the North American work ethic is one of the sacred cows of Capitalism, and it must be challenged.The Bourgeoisie, like the working class, are prisioners of the economic seas in which we swim, their allegance to the work ethic in pursuit of money depriving them of the pleasures of genuine human relationships, culture and quality of life by a fixation on money. If you have an extremely wealthy elite there can be no democracy, Grey averred. He gave as an example Conrad Black, the media baron convicted in 2007 of the misappropriation of millions of dollars from the newspaper empire he once headed.
Obstacles to democracy
Grey feels that Canada's resolute right-of-center, Capitalist system of governance is an obstacle to true democracy.

The myth of the Center-Left in Canada

Grey pointed out that neither of Canada's dominant political parties, the Liberals and the Conservatives, is in fact a left-of-center party. While the Liberals might be perceived as such by some Canadians, Grey feels they are mistaken. He points to the demise of the Quebec ADQ as proof of this, stating that the ADQ failed but because the political system is already saturated with Conservative parties.
Grey also feels that Canadian society shuts out people that are left-of-center, even going so far as to say, “You can't really get a job if you are on the left”. He pointed out that people believe in the system, which only serves to perpetuate the problem. Grey made reference to two books that deal with this phenomenon, The Financier, by Theodore Dreiser (the story of the rise and fall of a financial tycoon, set in the Civil war era), and Globalia, by Jean-Christophe Rufin, a work of fiction which continues the Orwellian theme of 1984.

Grey's solution—social democracy

Grey feels that Social democracy, conceived in the 19th century as a benign alternative to the revolutionary ire of Marx and Engels, is the solution to the woes of Capitalism.
He hypothesized that in the present system, people are afraid to challenge the sacred cows of Capitalism—the work ethic being one example, our condemnation of the Castro regime in Cuba another. That would have to change. Some of his other suggestions follow.

Reduce gap between rich and poor

If the Bourgeoisie work less in reaction to Capitalism, nothing will improve; the wealthy elite will continue their merry way, and society as a whole, deprived of cash from the middle class, will falter. However, if the government centralises power and introduces programs that reduce the gap between rich and poor, things will improve.

Reform our legal system

Grey pointed to the explosion of criminal sentences in North America as a major symptom of the malaise of our Capitalist society. He pointed out that Americans are incarcerated five to six times as frequently as citizens of other countries, even those countries whose governments are corrupt. He added that 25% of all prisoners in the world are located in the US. Grey sees crimnal law as a form of governmental control. He pointed out that very frequently, lawyers convince their clients—even those clients who maintain their innocence—to plead guilty in order to receive a lighter sentence. The result is that our prisons house many innocent people.
Grey also pointed out that once freed, those with a criminal record cannot turn their lives around, because the penal system ensures that their record will never by expunged. Legal reforms, in which criminals are forgiven and their record expunged once they have done time, are needed.

Eschew consumerism

Grey has an interesting take on how to build a less consumerist society. He advocates culture as a substitute for consumption—for example, a couple in Grey's reformed society, rather than going out and buying a new car which they don't need and which entails a massive strain on Earth's resources, would instead opt for season tickets to the opera—a choice which makes a zero constribution to climate change, while contributing substantially to the cultural edification of the couple in question.
Another interesting proposition along the same lines was to prioritise education. In Grey's version of social democracy, citizens would devote at least one day per week to becoming better educated.

Make salaries equal

Grey firmly states that egalitarian theories must be matched by equal salaries. He warned the audience to beware the false equality of neo-liberalism.
Keep lobbyists in check
According to Grey, the left has traditionally catered, a behavior Grey finds “suicidal”. Lobbyists must be kept in check since the corporate rich will always have the ability to control the media and therefore lobbyists are detrimental to society as a whole.

Ditch multiculturalism

Ethnicity is a form of conformity. Instead, suggests Grey, replace multiculturalism with a system that values individual eccentricities.
Re-open the Eastern European experiment
The Eastern European experiment was the attempt of Eurpean countries to re-invent Capitalism after the fall of Communism, making it more compassionate, more egalitrian, more human. Grey suggested that “think tanks” should be instated to come up with some creative alternatives that find some middle ground between the extremes of Capitalism and Communism.

Conclusion

Once Grey had finished his discourse, the floor was opened to discussion. Participants had many suggestions of their own to add to Grey's proposals for reform, proof that they had gotten the message: Yes, the Capitalist system is in itself flawed, but it will continue only as long as we buy into it (pun intended). The solution is to educate our society, and dare to challenge the sacred cows and myths of Capitalism, which will in turn open the floodgates to reforms. And on April 15, for this small group of people gathered in a Concordia classroom at least, this process was initiated.

For information on upcoming Citizens in Action events, see http://citizensinactionmontreal.org/m_1.asp

IJAN condemns the attempt to derail the Durban Review process

Statement from International Jewish Anti-zionist Network (IJAN)

We are appalled by the concerted effort, led by Israeli officials, Zionist organizations and apologists, to derail the Durban Review Conference. We condemn the use of the memory of the Nazi genocide, as Jewish organizations did during the Durban Review week, in the defense of Israel's systematic domination and ethnic cleansing of Palestinians.

We are shocked by the cynical pretense of defending human rights, for example in Darfur and Rwanda, by organizations and groups that are only interested in silencing Palestinian demands for accountability and redress and have no serious commitment to human rights. The brazen exploitation of genocides and racialized violence in Africa for the purpose of protecting and extending colonial domination in Palestine is itself an instance of colonial racism. It is only tolerated due to the strength of racism inside the institutions of global governance.

Racism is one of the legacies of colonialism and a fundamental injustice in societies all over the world. The World Conference Against Racism in Durban 2001 took a belated small step toward recognizing the impact of colonialism and racism on Africa and initiating a global discussion about the crime of slavery and the need for restitution; it also addressed many other instances of racism that must be addressed.

It is beyond obvious to us that a conference about racism, and especially a conference that seeks to address the legacy of colonial oppression, must discuss Israel, since Israel is a settler-colonial state that systematically oppresses and denies basic human rights to millions of Palestinians. Israel's attempt to derail this> important conference in order to avoid being examined and called to account is an affront against all the victims of racism all over the world, including the six million Jews who perished in the Nazi genocide.

We recall that the crimes of the Nazis, among them those committed against Jews, have been a major catalyst and rationale for the establishment of> humanitarian and human right laws and instruments after World War II. These> laws and instruments, however flawed and limited, are of profound importance> to innumerable victims of violence. These laws, the people they seek to> protect, and the work of countless activists in movements for justice and> dedicated professionals in the field, are being trivialized and demeaned by> a network of primarily Jewish Zionist organizations that deploy massive> financial resources as they seek to defend the indefensible-the systematic> oppression of Palestinians by the state of Israel.

We call on these organizations to stop. We call on all those committed to preserving and deepening the mechanisms of protection and redress embodied by humanitarian and human rights law to rise up to their defense and to refuse to cooperate in their destruction. We call on those genuinely committed to these values to support those in Sudan committed to justice and an end to violence, and to condemn the exploitation of these efforts by Zionist organizations. We commend the many governments, mostly of the South,> who have not allowed the conference to unravel, and also the many dedicated human rights workers who kept the process going and steered it, against the> saboteurs, towards reaching imperfect but important resolutions that will continue to propel forward the struggle against racism. We condemn the governments of United States, Australia, New Zealand, Germany, Canada, the Netherlands, Italy, and Poland for not attending the Durban Review conference and for using overblown accusations of antisemitism as a way to avoid confronting their own unresolved issues of racism and reparations for> slavery and colonialism.

We demand an immediate end to the threats of military attack on Iran by the U.S. and Israel.

We demand that all governments, U.N. agencies and bodies recognize the continuing history of racism and colonialism that is the root of many of the> world's current conflicts, including in Palestine, and commit to accountability and redress.

We affirm our solidarity and support for Palestinian resistance and liberation struggle and all other struggles against oppression, domination> and exploitation.

International Jewish Anti-zionist Network April 24, 2009

Amend farm animal transport regulations

To: Hon. Gerry Ritz, Minister of Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada
House of Commons, Ottawa ON K1A 0A6

The worst sin toward our fellow creatures is not to hate them, but to be indifferent to them: that's the essence of inhumanity.

- George Bernard Shaw (1856 - 1950), "The Devil's Disciple" (1901), act II

Dear Mr. Ritz,

I understand that you have been considering an amendment to antiquated regulations for transporting farm animals across this country. This issue has been allowed to drag on far too long and every day animals are undergoing needless agony. I am writing to ask you to act to enact those amendments now, and in so doing move Canada's agricultural practices into the 21st century.

Canada's transport time limits are among the longest in the industrialized world and are not consistent with scientific findings on animal welfare, which recommend against transporting animals, or at least strictly limiting the length of time animals spend being transported. In Canada, pigs, horses and poultry can be transported up to 36 hours without food water or respite, while cattle, sheep and goats must suffer even longer, up to 52 hours. By contrast, in Europe, most animals may not be transported more than 8 hours.

In 2002, the European Commission's Scientific Committee on Animal Health and Animal Welfare reported that animals' health declines in direct proportion to the time they spend in transit. Diseases like swine flu H1N1 are thus promoted by such practices.

I urge you, in the interests of humanity, to make the necessary amendments to animal transport regulations NOW.

Thank you,

Cym Gomery

CDN-NDG Candidate Nominations--invitation

Invitation to the media
With the municipal elections only months away, Projet Montréal's CDN-NDG local borough association est pleased to invite the media and residents of the neighborhood to the nomination ceremony of its first three candidates. ''We are looking forward to the coming campaign with enthusiasm. The founding principles of Projet Montréal are citizen participation, sustainable development and improving quality of life in our neighborhoods, and we are the only party with a definite project plan for Montréal,'' states Magda Popeanu, President of Projet Montréal and resident of Côte-des-Neiges.
Date: May 14 2009
Time: 7:00 to 8:00 pm
Place: St-Matthews Church, 4940 avenue MacDonald, CDN, in the Parish Hall
The nominiation ceremony will give Projet Montréal candidates the opportunity to address members and guests before the vote. The nominations will be followed by a speech by Richard Bergeron, City of Montreal councillor and leader of Projet Montréal.
For more information: Émilie Thuillier,
Political attachée, 514 390-0792

Comment from Nadia Alexan re: Swine Flu

Dear Editor:
It is always surprising to see how quickly we react to medical disasters without ever trying to find out the real causes for such pandemics. Somehow we manage to glide over the fact that the swine flu is the direct result of modern industrial farming methods, where pigs live in unsanitary conditions, in cramped quarters, stacked like sardines, with not enough standing room and where they never see the light of day. In such insalubrious conditions, the animals are pumped with antibiotics to prevent disease and injected with hormones to fatten them up quickly for slaughter. The overuse of antibiotics in hog factories results in resistant viral infections, while sewage spills are producing E coli bacteria that seep into our rivers, lakes, and waterways. Scientists have been warning us that such harmful farming methods are bound to produce an outbreak of viral disease. But powerful livestock producers stand in the way of serious health regulation by threatening to withhold financial contributions to various political parties. The WHO has failed to protect citizens from the stranglehold of big pharma and the catastrophe of giant, commercial livestock farming. Let's call a spade a spade. The commercialization of every aspect of our lives, and the greed for fast gain and the maximization of profits, is destroying both the planet and its inhabitants.

- Nadia Alexan